The Long Fall Down
by greer
Summary: Kristy deals with the demise of the BSC in a way no one would expect. In an editing stage; no new chapters.
1. Chapter 1

I stared around at the faces that surrounded me. I saw the looks on my friends' faces; my best friends' faces.  
  
And even I, Kristy Thomas, knew what everyone wanted to say but didn't have the heart to tell me.  
  
As ninth graders, no one really felt like they had to devote their lives to baby-sitting anymore.  
  
Sure, I sort of knew that's what they had wanted all summer. After graduation from eighth grade, Claudia's party that followed felt, to everyone, like the end. But once they saw how broken up I was, they continued to come to meetings three times a week for the following two months or so.  
  
I can't help not wanting to give up the BSC. My baby, my greatest creation ever--without it, what would my life be like?  
  
I remember a few months ago, when we first decided to disband the BSC because we were all fighting so much. Monday, Wednesday, Friday--at 5:30, my chest would feel tight and I couldn't relax until I called out order. This caused much teasing from Sam and Charlie, my two older brothers, and Karen, who is my younger stepsister, was just bewildered. My family tried to console me, but nothing would make me feel better than sitting in Claud's room at that magic time, fielding phone calls and solving problems.  
  
With the added stress of starting high school, I didn't think I could handle the pain of losing the BSC in a long, drawn-out process.   
  
So at this meeting, the last meeting of the summer, I cleared my throat. My friends looked at me expectantly and they knew what I was going to say.  
  
"This meeting of the Baby-sitters Club is now in session."  
  
Claudia stopped painting her nails; Mary Anne stopped looking out the window; Stacey stopped pawing through Claudia's wardrobe (She was trying to find something for the first day of school that would catch everyone's eye. Preferably something that would catch the eye of a guy with a car). I relaxed a little, then tensed up again as I remembered what I had to say.  
  
First I said my familiar line: "Any new business?" When no answer came, there was no stalling anymore.  
  
"I motion that this be the last official meeting of the BSC." 


	2. Chapter 2

disclaimer: they're ann's.  
  
The room was dead silent for a good ten seconds, although naturally to me it felt like an eternity.  
  
Then Stacey spoke up: "I second the motion."   
  
Then Claudia.  
  
And finally, Mary Anne, whose eyes were moist, finally cast her vote in the fate of the BSC--it's over.  
  
I sighed. "Motion carried."  
  
"Are you all right, Kristy?" That was Mary Anne, who'd just put one arm around my shoulders; her brow furrowed in concern.  
  
That's Mary Anne--always the first to pick up on my feelings. Sometimes it seems that she exceeds everyone, even my mother, in gauging my feelings accurately. It's no wonder--we've been best friends sense we were in diapers.  
  
Also, Mary Anne is super-sensitive and is always looking out for others. Her ex-boyfriend, Logan, used to tease her about crying so easily, but her sensitivity is probably the reason why she was the first member to have a boyfriend.   
  
Logan. At first, I thought Mary Anne had lost her mind when she dumped him. Like it was just because her house had burned down and she like something in her life wasn't working, and she blamed that feeling on Logan. I still think Logan is the best boyfriend Mary Anne ( or any girl) could ever have: he's smart, funny, good-looking, and really athletic. But it was Mary Anne's decision to make, not mine, and I see now that dumping him was what she needed in order to grow as a person.  
  
She's become so much more self-confident as of late.She even told off Cokie Mason. At first her father, Richard, wasn't too happy with the changed Mary Anne. He mistook her newfound independence for rudeness. But her stepmom, Sharon (mother of the California BSC member, Dawn), set him straight. Mary Anne is doing better than she has been in a looong time.  
  
Stacey, on the other hand, has always been really self-assured. I guess she needs it. Stacey has had to deal with more things than other kids who are just starting high school. In addition to having divorced parents and growing up in the Big Apple, she has a disease called diabetes. Her pancreas doesn't function correctly; and if she eats sugar, it goes straight into her bloodstream. So she has to keep her blood sugar low by not sweets. But if her blood sugar gets too low, that's also a problem. Stacey has to stick to a strict diet and give herself shots of insulin every day. There are all sorts of health problems that can develop when you have diabetes, but Stacey always seems optimistic.  
  
Her life isn't all hypodermic needles and doctor's visits, though. She is also super-stylish, and she can be boy-crazy. She's had a lot of boyfriends, and the two main ones on her mind right now are Jeremy Rudolph, whom Claudia also wanted, and Ethan, the boyfriend she had before him. When she and Jeremy broke up, it seemed as if she was going to go back to Ethan. And she did, for a time, this summer. But the problems that she broke up with him because of in the first place were still there, and now she's satisfied with just being friends. And she doesn't mind starting high school a "free woman."  
  
Claudia's starting high school with Alan Gray as her main squeeze. Claudia's always seen things different from the rest of us--she's an awesome artist with a dress sense to match. Now she's added another unique attribute to her list: she is seriously dating Alan Gray, the former bane of my existence. Our feud has cooled down now that he's dating one of my best friends, but I still can't believe that anyone could look at Alan and want to make out with him.  
  
Don't tell Claud I said that, though!  
  
While Claudia's lovelife is secure, her schoollife is not. School hasn't even started yet, and Claudia is already worrying whether or not she can keep up. She's never been good in school, and high school is going to be even tougher than Middle School. In addition to the work, her older sister, Janine, is going to be a senior, and it's going to be hard to see Harvard, Princeton, and MIT knocking down the Kishi's door when Claudia is praying that she will be able to get in anywhere in four years.  
  
I think that's one of the reasons why Claudia felt that she could no longer be apart of the BSC. I guess Mary Anne and Stacey had their own reasons as well, but I really think that main factor is that we're all getting older. I seem to be the one getting older the slowest, though. I'm still more interested in doing activities with children and baby-sitting than going to parties. Plus, I was the last BSC member to get my period. I just got it that summer.   
  
So there I was, thinking about my friends and how slowly I was going compared to the rest of them when I realized that while I had been day-dreaming, my friends had enveloped me in a group hug. For some reason, this made me feel worse.  
  
"Enough emotion," I said. "We have closing business to take care of."  
  
"Like what?" Claudia asked. Our club had let our clients know that we weren't going to be taken as many jobs a long time ago. But I don't think they were prepared for our club to be gone completely.  
  
"Well, obviously, our clients need to be informed. So do Abby, Jessi, Mallory, Dawn, Shannon....and Logan."  
  
Mary Anne blanched a little, but she straightened up quickly and pulled out the record book. "Should we send out a mailing to all our clients, or tell them in person?"  
  
"I think we should tell them all in person, or at least on the phone," Stacey offered. "It's much more personal that way."  
  
We all agreed. At that moment, the telephone rang. Claudia answered it. "Hello, Baby-sitters Club. Oh, hi, Mrs. Arnold. Um, well, I hate to say this but: the BSC has decided to disband."  
  
It felt just like last year when the Yankees lost the World Series. I was born in Yankee Stadium, the BSC was born in me. 


	3. Chapter 3

If it seems like the breaking of up of the BSC was quick, well, it wasn't.  
  
Truth is, since the last day of eighth grade, nothing has been the same. SMS is no longer a school I can call my own; I won't be able to go down into the basement and find Cary Retlin among SMS's deepest (and dankest) secrets. I don't think I will be able to feel the same way about SHS as I do about SMS. For one thing, SHS is HUGE. SMS only 382 people, which is pretty small for a public school. SHS is Kelsey Middle, SMS, and some people from places like Stoneybrook Day School all put together. It's scary to think about.  
  
So the summer was filled with Claudia, Stacey, and Mary Anne excitedly talking about the changes in our lives. Claudia designed a line of jewelry for Stacey's mother's new clothing store, Paradisa. Mary Anne's spent the summer adjusting to her new barn-house; plus Dawn was here for the summer so she was wrapped up in hanging out with her sister.  
  
Me? There's nothing new in my life. No boyfriend, no changes in my family (lord knows we had enough of those from 7th-8th grade--now known as the BSC era of my life). So there I was, watching everyone else rather talk about other things than baby-sitting, and not really caring all that much about the Club.  
  
The Club was a very time-consuming thing, but for me, it was always a labor of love. Talent shows, writing in the Notebook--every time I sat in that director's chair, I saw how one little idea of mine REALLY succeeded and exceeded what I'd hope for it. My experiences in the BSC somehow meant to me that I could do the same thing for a business that made a lot of money and didn't have the word "club" in its title. The BSC, it seemed, was a foreshadow for my future.  
  
Hopefully, the end of the BSC isn't giving away any hints about what is going to happen to my future business venture.  
  
The day after the breakup, my friends and I went to Washington Mall. We had planned this last week, so no one had any idea that it would turn into a "Cheer Kristy Up" trip then.   
  
Sam (a recently licensed driver) drove us there in the Junk Bucket. He was meeting his new girlfriend, Laura Sanchez, and reluctantly agreed to drive us. I'm sure he regretted his decision when Stacey had him play U4Me all the way there. I was sort of regretting it too: not only was I not in the mood for shop (not like I ever am), but I HATE U4Me.   
  
As the last chords of "Never Say Goodbye" faded out, we pulled into the parking lot. Claudia and Stacey spilled into the parking lot like Shannon (the puppy, not the human) does when she's let out.   
  
"Where first?" Claudia asked.   
  
"Food court," I replied.   
  
Stacey rolled her eyes. "Steven E.," was her suggestion.  
  
Mary Anne and Claudia agreed. Three to One. It was designer clothes time.  
  
We walked at a brisk pace through Lear's and through the rest of mall that was in the way of Stacey and Claud's holy grail. When we got there, me, the athlete, was nearly out of breath, but Stace and Claud weren't even winded.   
  
"I'm not into this prairie stuff," Stacey informed us. "I know it's cool and all, but I never had a need to look like Laura Ingalls Wilder."  
  
"I love those books. And the TV show too. Michael Landon was such a great dad," Mary Anne sighed, thinking of a childhood filled with rainy days spent reading about farmlife, I guess.  
  
"Who's Michael Landon?" Claud asked.  
  
"Who cares?" Stacey replied. "Look at this skirt! It'd be fantastic on you, Kristy!"  
  
Everyone laughed. Me, Kristy, spend my money on a designer skirt? Get real!  
  
By this time, Claudia had picked out a turquoise sheer shirt, Stacey a sleek safari-style top, and Mary Anne a delicate tiered skirt. I found nothing but a pair of sunglasses. I thought they'd be great until I looked at the price tag--60 dollars. Yikes! I dropped them like a hot potato.  
  
"You know," Stacey said wistfully. "Once I'm no longer getting jobs through the BSC, I'm not really going to have money to spend on clothes."  
  
"Can't you work at your mom's store?" Mary Anne asked.  
  
"Yeah, but living paycheck-to-paycheck is different from getting, like, 30 dollars per job in one lump sum."  
  
"Well, I know that I may have to cut down on my junk food habit," Claudia said forlornly.   
  
Mary Anne smiled. "I bet your parents will be happy!" Everyone laughed, except, of course, me.  
  
Mary Anne noticed this, of course. "Sorry Kristy," she said quickly, and gave my shoulders a quick squeeze.   
  
I managed a weak smile. 


	4. Chapter 4

"You know," Claudia said. "I'm suddenly really hungry. Who else wants to go to Casa Grande?" This was getting a little obvious. I mean, Claudia loves tacos, but she loves shopping more. Plus, Casa Grande just so happens to be my favorite placwe to eat in the mall.  
  
It was even more blatantly clear when Stacey looked at Claudia strangely and Claud gave her a Look.  
  
Stacey then chirped in with a, "Yeah, I could so go for a Super Burrito right now."  
  
'"Well, what are we waiting for?" Mary Anne said. "Let's go!"  
  
I shrugged. Hey, it beat shopping.  
  
Once we were seated, they all began to lay into me.   
  
"I'm reallly sorry I was so unenthusiastic, you know, towards the end..." Claudia said.  
  
"I really was a great club while it lasted. We had some great times," said Stacey forlornly.  
  
"You know, if you still want to have the club, just say the word. You're the president, after all." That was Mary Anne.   
  
"No, Mary Anne," I replied. "That's not fair to you guys. Anyway, all good things must come to an end, right?"  
  
Claudia and Stacey looked visibly relieved. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Claudia asked.  
  
I managed to smile and said, "Positive."  
  
JUst then our waitress came. I was suddenly very hungry and asked for a Super Burrito, heavy on the guacamole.  
  
After the waitress left, I said, "Hey, know what guacamole looks like?", reliving my tradition of grossing out my friends in the SMS cafeteria with my genius food comparisions.  
  
"Eww, Kristy." Stacey made a face.  
  
Just as I'd hoped, my friends took this as a sign that everything was okay with me. As the steered the conversation back to high school, my mind began to wonder  
  
By the time our food arrived, my friends were still gabbing excitedly about our impending doom.  
  
And I had decided exactly what I had to do.  
  
After we'd finished our food and my friends bought the clothes they'd liked at Steven E., Mary Anne suggested going to Bookcenter. Everyone agreed, even Claud, (there was a new art book out that she wanted to look at). And I wanted to see if there was anything that would help me with my "project."  
  
We all split up when we got inside. I chose quickly: "Namedropper" by Emma Forrest and "and "The Guide to Being a Bad Girl" by Karla Ratzenberg. After I had paid for them, I ran into Stacey. She was holding a book called "Good Money."  
  
"Hey," she asked. "What did you buy?"  
  
"Um, 'The Scarlet Letter.' Charlie said that it's the first book that the ninth grade Honors English class reads." That part, at least, was true.  
  
Stacey nodded. "I guess I should pick up a copy too."  
  
After that, the mall trip was fairly uneventful. Everyone looked at clothes while I pondered what I should buy first for the new Kristy.   
  
Getting home was a relief. I sat in my room and planned out my Sunday, knowing just what I had to do before school started on Monday. 


	5. Chapter 5

Zingy's. The mecca of everything that's cool, hip, and your parents hate. Unlike some kids, there's never really been an issue between my parents and me about the way I dress. Sure, if we're going out to a fancy restaurant, they'll tell me to put on nice clothes or whatever; but they've never banned me from wearing something that shows too much skin, for example.  
  
It's never been an issue with me. I'm a strictly jeans-and-a-tshirt kind of girl. But I had this crazy feeling that when I got home from my shopping trip, my mom and Watson were going to hit my roof.  
  
Okay I am going to stop right here and let the world know that unlike some people have said, I wasn't trying to piss off my parents.  
  
Ever since I've graduated from middle school, a feeling has been growing inside of me. I'd be judging a pet show and I'd see some kids ride by on the bikes on the way to the pool party that all of the BSC was invited to, but had to turn down because we'd already decided to do the pet show thing; part of me would want to go with the kids ready for hamburgers and hooking up.   
  
This had been festering in me the whole summer; and when the BSC officially broke up, the door was bust open and I've been wanting to truly experience life as a teenager to the fullest.  
  
Which means doing things that my parents wouldn't want me to be doing.  
  
I've experienced life on the wild side before when I took part in the initiation thing for the SMS girls' softball team. Sure, I'd felt horrible when I did it; especially after the fact. But there was something about doing something I wasn't supposed to be doing (in this case, spraying paint on an equipment shed) that thrilled me.   
  
For a while after the incident, I thought that I had caused the fire that burned the equipment shed down and I was going to be arrested or something. But with some bad things, there's not a real risk of run-ins with the police. Actually, I didn't care as much anymore. I don't know; lately I'd felt as if the "responsiblity" part of my brain had been etched out by the acidity of yearning to experience something more than baby-sitting and sleepovers.  
  
I got in trouble when Bart Taylor kissed me on the couch (against my free will) when no one else was home. And do you know what? I survived it just fine. Sure I was grounded and it sucked; but I wasn't any worse for the wear.  
  
Which was why I felt all right about buying spaghetti-strap tanktops, short skirts, knee-high boots, and other various things that I wouldn't be caught dead in before at Zingy's.   
  
After leaving Zingy's, I hiked a short distance over to Bellair's. I purchased a hair straightener and then went over to the makeup counters.  
  
This would turn out to be a test. I looked at the array of products and felt a litle bewildered. Luckily I had a very nice salesperson; and he helped me purchase a small kit with a bunch of eyeshadows and lipsticks in a small thin metal case. It was pretty expensive; luckily I don't get zits so I didn't need any foundation or anything.  
  
As I left, I thanked Stacey's mom silently for not working at Bellair's anymore. If she did, I could have seen her there and seeing her might have put me in an uncomfortable situation. She would have been sure to ask me why I was buying makeup.  
  
I rode the bus home and locked myself in the bathroom to experiment with my makeup. I've watched people do it before, but I've only done it myself a few times. The kit came with a pictures of things you could do with it and instructions on how you could achieve the looks; so it wasn't as hard as it could have been.   
  
When I was finished, I looked at myself in the mirror and decided that I looked pretty good. Putting together an outfit with my new clothes would be difficult for me, since I've never really put any thought into style before, but I'd survived the makeup test.  
  
Tomorrow would be the biggest challenge of all: introducing my friends to the new Kristy to the entire SHS student body, including my friends. 


	6. Chapter 6

****a/n: I want to give a shout out to everyone who has reviewed this story--each time I get one, i sort of run around my house looking stupid with a ridiculous grin on my face. it's a nice feeling. also, most of these characters coming up; even though they might not be immediately familiar to you, are ann's. i've tried to include as many bsc series veterans as possible.****  
  
I woke up way before my alarm went off.  
  
It was a lot easier to be the new me in the dressing room at Zingy's than it was to be the new me around people who had known me for my whole life. Like my mom. When everyone else in the house was sleeping, even the dog, I had been putting on clothes and taking them off, deciding just what exactly was the best way for me the debut myself to high school, my family, and my friends.  
  
Finally I had decided on a little black tshirt, low-slung dark denim flares, and pair of red wedge flip flops. It was pretty much the same as the old me: tshirt + jeans; yet it was different enough for people to notice a change. Also, I wanted people to notice me. Yeah, I'm short and loud and proud; but I wanted to be known for being cool as well. Someone you'd want to be at your parties and someone you'd want to date.  
  
It was hard for me to resist the temptation of hitching up my jeans and securing them with a belt. What if people saw my underwear? I scolded myself silently, reminding myself that Claudia never seemed to care.  
  
By the time I applied my makeup, I was ready. My ears aren't pierced; but I could make do with some silver bangle bracelets. I gave myself a thumbs up in the mirror and said, "Okay, Thomas. You're ready for your breakfast closeup."  
  
I clamped down the stairs--okay, so it wasn't the most graceful gait; but these shoes were really hard to walk in. I reached the kitchen and was immediately bombarded with smells of eggs, bacon, and waffles. For the occasion, Mom and Watson had cooked up an extra-special breakfast. All the Thomas-Brewers, except for Charlie, were seated around the big table, awaiting their turn to be served. CHarlie had left a few days ago for Boiceville State--only forty-five minutes away; but Charlie had refused to live at home. The tuition was so cheap that Mom and Watson really didn't have a leg to stand on when it came to arguing with him about it.  
  
Charlie's absence at the table was definitely noticable, but it sure wasn't spoliing anyone's appetite. Everyone was just so hungry that no one noticed my presence until it came to be my turn to be served.  
  
"Okay, Kris--" Watson caught site of my outfit--and my makeup. "Kristy," he said at last. "You look ready for your first day of high school."  
  
I smiled at him and accepted the steaming hot plate filled with my favorite breakfast foods.  
  
As I poured syrup on my pancakes, David Michael was snickering at me. "What is it?" I asked, knowing full well what the answer was going to be.  
  
"Ooooh, Kris-tee, are you trying to get a-- boyfriend?" David Michael could hardly contain himself. Sam joined in.   
  
I rolled my eyes. Luckily, Mom was on my side. "Can it, you two," she said, joining Watson at the stove. Nannie was on juice duty, with Emily Michelle "helping."  
  
"Wow, Kristy," Karen breathed. "You look so much like a teenager." I smiled to myself. For as long as I've known her, Karen has wanted to be one thing: older.  
  
I gulped down my breakfast, wanting to leave the zoo that was my family breakfast. I clomped back upstairs to pack up my backup, wanting to make sure I didn't forget anything.  
  
Schedule--check. Binder--check. Assignment book--check. Assortment of pens and pencils--check. Graphing calculator--check. I slung it over my shoulders and went downstairs.  
  
"Come on, Sam," I called into the kitchen from the foyer. "We're going to be late!"  
  
"Still the same old Kristy, all right," he mumbled, shoving in his mouth the last bit of eggs.   
  
Sam had inherited the Junk Bucket from Charlie. We got in, slammed the doors, and the car rattled so much that we were afraid the whole thing would come crashing down on our heads any second. But as usual, it didn't; and Sam started the car up. After making a few spitting noises, the engine started and we were on our way.  
  
Sam didn't say much to me on the way there. He kept on looking at me and making little know-it-all comments under his breath. It was going to be a long year; but that was okay. SHS was so huge, Sam and I would hardly ever see each other. Right?  
  
Soon, we arrived at our destination. Sam dropped me off at the front entrance before he went around the back to park. "Good luck, little sis," were his parting words.  
  
I saw my friends at the front entrance, waiting for everyone else to arrive. Everyone was there except for me. Even Abby was there. She had called me last night to tell me that she planned to walk, since SHS was closer to our houses than SMS had been.   
  
My friends' reaction were akin to Mom and Watson's: no snickering, but they looked a little perplxed. Finally, Abby spoke.  
  
"Cool duds, Madame President."  
  
"Heyyyy, I'm no longer the president," I said to her calmly. "Now I'm a mere peon."  
  
My friends smiled, albeit weakly.  
  
Just then, the bell rang. Claudia groaned. "Another school year has begun," she said dramatically.  
  
I found my locker and looked at the combo I held in my head. I spun the numbers and the locker opened easily. I relaxed a little. At least I had a good locker.  
  
I didn't really have anything to put in my locker, but I just wanted to check it out before homeroom began. Now that that task was finished, it was time for homeroom with--I checked my schedule--Ms. Delavecchio.  
  
I found her classroom easily; it was just down the hall from my locker.   
"Welcome, freshmen," Ms. Delavecchio smiled out at us. The PA crackled to life, sounding exactly like the one at SMS. I relaxed a little. So far, high school wasn't that much different from middle school.  
  
Famous last words. 


	7. Chapter 7

I grinned to myself and shoved some buttered noodles in my mouth. So far, high school had been great. In the classes I'd had so far--English, Biology, and Spanish--I'd even met some new friends: Carly and Barbara, who were in summer school with Claud, Lauren Hoffman, who had been in all my classes so far and whom I knew previously from a zoo project we did last year, and Greer Carson, who used to go to Stoneybrook Day School with Shannon and was one of Shannon's best friends.  
  
I invited them all to sit with the (ex-) BSC members at lunch. CLaudia greeted them warmly, but everyone else seemed a little wary. It's not often that people outside of our clique are invited to hang out with us.  
  
Well, that had to change. The Club was over, and our unconsciously snobby ways should be too.  
  
My new friends and I all gabbed excitely. Laura, Barbara, and I were all in the same English class. Ted, the teacher I'd like so much last year who got in trouble because he had us read some books the more conservative parents didn't like, was out English teacher this year. The school disctrict placed him in high school instead of middle school, and I was grateful. He was such a cool teacher.  
  
During all of lunch, the BSC members were markedly silent. Somehow I got the feeling that they would have preferred to have a BSC-members only lunch. They sort of carried on their own conversation and ignored the new girls.  
  
I shurgged. We were in high school now. Time to act like big girls.  
  
At the end of the day, Carly ran up to me. "Hey Kristy," she panted. "A bunch of us are going to Miller's Park this afternoon. Wanna come?"  
  
I mentally checked my schedule. I was free all afternon, and since it was the first day of school, I didn't have much homework.   
  
"Sure," I replied. "What time?"  
  
She thought for a moment. "Oh, around four, maybe?" She checked her watch. "See ya!" she called behind her shoulder while walking towards the front entrance.  
  
"See ya," I eched, watching as she got smaller and smaller until a swarm of kids blocked my view.  
  
I then went out myself to the Junk Bucket.  
  
"Ho was your first day?" Sam asked.  
  
"Okay," I said. "I made some new friends."  
  
"Good," her said. "I was worried you'd only have BSC friends forever."  
  
"What's wrong with the BSC?" I asked, half angry and half agreeing with him.  
  
"High school's a whole different ballgame, Kristy," was his only answer.  
  
I shrugged. 


	8. Chapter 8

My mother wasn't home yet. Watson was at a meeting. The only adult around was Nannie.  
  
"Hey, Nannie," I said. "Can I go to Miller's Park?"  
  
"Sure, Kristy," she said, her blue eyes sparkling. "Go ahead. Just be back by dinnertime."  
  
"K, bye!" I called out to her and Emily Michelle on my way out the door.  
  
I decided to walk instead of taking my bike. If I took my bike, I would have to watch it constantly while at Miller's Park. I didn't want it stolen.  
  
Miller's Park isn't really that close to my house. First you have to go all the way down McLelland Road. Then McLelland merges with Hazlet avenue, and then you cross Burnt Hill Road on Morgan Road. By the time I did all that, I was pretty tired. I was ready to relax.  
  
Carly, Barbara, Greer, and bunch of kids I vaguely knew by face were already there.  
  
"Hey!" Greer greeted me. "We're just waiting for Lauren to come before we start." If anyone would give Mallory hope about her looks, it was Greer. Greer had red hair like Mal; and she was really beautiful. Shannon said guys were always going after her.  
  
"Start what?" I asked. I had no idea why were at Miller's Park anyway.  
  
"Hacky sack. Lauren's great at it. Too bad Claudia couldn't make it today--she says it's the only athletic thing she can do besides skiing."  
  
I grinned. "Yeah, Claud's never been good at sports."  
  
Just then Lauren appeared. Like me, she had walked. "Hey guys," she called out.  
  
"Hi," we all said.  
  
Then a guy who I recognized as Lew Greenberg pulled out a small, colorfully embroidered ball.  
  
We played hacky sack until we got bored; and then we sat around shooting the bull for a while. Then Dorianne Wallingford pulled a pack of cigarettes out of her purse and offered them around.  
  
Momentarily forgetting everything that Dawn and MaryAnne had told me about Sunny's mom dying of lung cancer and everything adults had told me about the dangers of smoking, I took one.  
  
If I was going to talk the talk, I had to walk the walk. Otherwise, I'd just be a poseur. Besides, I mean, I'd lost the most important thing in my life: the BSC. What did I have to to lose?  
  
I took my first puff. Smoke filled my lungs; but I soon got used to it. It wasn't something I would do every day--but the thrill of doing something I wasn't supposed to gave me a little rush of adrenaline.  
  
And then I locked eyes with Mrs. Prezzioso. 


	9. Chapter 9

"Kristy?" Mrs. Prezzioso said, with a tone that was at once shocked and disapproving.  
  
"Oh, um, hi, Mrs. Prezzioso."  
  
I was so stupid. I had clients, like the Prezziosos, and friends, like Mary Anne, who lived on Burnt Hill Road, right near Miller's Park. It was so easy for me to get caught here.  
  
And I did. I knew now that this would spread all over town; it would spread to the whole client base of the BSC. If the BSC reformed, it would have to be without me because we'd never get any jobs.  
  
I remember way back when the BSC was battling the Baby-sitters Agency and our clients were hiring them because of us because they were older. Some of the BSA sitters smoked (among other things); and we had the kids tell on them. The BSA soon folded.  
  
And here I was. In the same position. Some of my new-found friends looked at my strangely, but the moment soon passed and everyone forgot about the incident.  
  
My family, my friends--everyone would find out. I knew immediately that I was *so* grounded.  
  
"Hey," Dori said. "Anyone want to go to convenience store on the corner of Kimball and Edgalstone?"  
  
"Sure," I said. Anything to postpone going home.  
  
About half of us, including Carly, Greer, Barbara, and Lauren, went to the store. There really wasn't anything I wanted to buy.   
  
"Hey, Kristy," Dave Griffin (whom Dawn once had a crush on) said. "Who was that woman who said your name at the park?"  
  
"Oh, the BSC used to sit for her kids," I replied.  
  
"Guess she won't be calling you now," he smirked.  
  
I felt kind of sick. "Um, well, the BSC isn't around anymore; so it doesn't matter." Then I looked at my watch. It was 5:30. "Oh, hey, I have to get going. Bye, guys!"  
  
I felt so horrible. I was either going to throw up or cry. Not only was the BSC gone; it was going to remembered with a bad reputation. All the good things we did were going to be erased by the one time I got caught.  
  
I drudgingly started for home. I wished that the convenience store was farther away from my house so I wouldn't haven't face my parents quite so soon.  
  
When I walked in the door, nothing seemed to have changed. Mom greeted me with a cheery, "Good, you're home. Set the table for dinner, please."  
  
I did as I was told, jumping every time the phone rang.  
  
Once I finished, we all sat down to dinner. Everyone shared their first day of school stories. It was Emily Michelle's first day of preschool, so Mom and Watson were beaming with pride.   
  
When it wwas my turn, I mumbled something quickly about new friends and having Ted as an English teacher.   
  
I shoved the rest of the pot roast into my mouth and asked to be excused.  
  
"Yes," my mother answered. "But when dinner is over, Watson, Nannie, and I would like to speak to you."  
  
"Kristy's in trouble, Kristy's in trouble," David Michael sang. Karen stared at me with her blue eyes growing rounder by the second.  
  
I went to my room and closed the door and tried to start my homework. I attempted English first.  
  
"Write about how others see you," it began. "Not as you see yourself."  
  
"I used to be seen as someone who was responsible," I wrote. "But today I took a wrong step."  
  
I wrote some more, trying to be honest. I liked Ted a lot; and had to much respect for him to write something half-assed.  
  
By the time I was finished, dinner was over and it was time to face my fate.  
  
When we were settled in the den and my siblings were shooed away, Mom cleared her throat.  
  
"Kristy," she said. "This afternoon I received a phone call from Mrs. Prezzioso."  
  
I sank low in my seat.  
  
"She said that she saw you in the park with a cigarette in had."  
  
"We are all disappointed in you," Nannie filled in. "I never thought a granddaughter of mine would ever even think of smoking,"  
  
"We have all discussed this," That was Watson. "And we think that it would be appropriate for you to be grounded for the rest of September. You may not leave the house once you come home from school; you are not allowed to be late coming home. If you disobey this rule, the period will be extended. Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes," I said softly. I was dumbfounded. I didn't have a chance to say anything. 


	10. Chapter 10

MEANWHILE...  
  
The phone was ringing at the Spier/Schafer house. Sharon rolled her eyes. "Those telemarketers always have to call around dinnertime, don't they?" she sighed, annoyed.  
  
SHe picked up the phone. "Hello? Oh, hi, Mrs. Prezzioso. What? You're kidding me! Was Mary Anne, involved? Oh, good. Well, Thanks for telling me."  
  
Richard looked puzzled. "Who was that?" he asked.  
  
"That," replied Sharon. "was Mrs. Prezzioso. She caught Kristy smoking at Miller's Park today." She sounded as if hearing the news had aged her ten years.  
  
The usually calm and sensitive Mary Anne gave a yelp of surprise. "Oh my god. You're kidding me."  
  
Richard looked at her, scruntinizing her emotions. "Were you involved with this Mary Anne?"  
  
"Oh, no way, Dad." Her eyes were brimming with tears. Didn't her father trust her her?  
  
"Mary Anne, I believe you. You'd never do such a thing. But then again I never thought Kristy would either."  
  
They ate the rest of their three-cheese macaroni in silence.  
  
After she was finished, Mary Anne began a telephone marathon. The ex-BSC members all felt a little older and sadder that night.  
  
The next morning, they all ganged up on me before homeroom.  
  
"Kristy," said Stacey. "We heard about what we did."  
  
"While we are your friends, our parents don't think that we should be hanging around you anymore," Abby said. That surprise dme a little. Abby's mom gave her more independence than other parents do. I mean, it was just. One. Cigarette.  
  
"I'm sorry, Kristy," Mary Anne was crying.  
  
Then they left.  
  
The school day went on. In my classes with BSC friends, they would all give me mournful glances over their shoulders. They were angry at me and sad. They were all disappointed in me and none of their parents would ever trust me again.  
  
But I had other friends. Right? 


	11. Chapter 11

I rode home in the Junk Bucket. Sam tried to tease me; but when he saw how sensitive I was about the subject, he stopped.  
  
We rode the rest of the way home in silence.  
  
Unlike the last time I had been grounded, I was allowed to watch tv asnd stuff. But I mostly stuck to my room anyway; I didn't really want to face my family.  
  
I took a yogurt, a can of root beer, and some grapes to my room. I thought about how gross it would be to eat them all together at once and smiled in spite of myself.  
  
I was in my room, reading "Namedropper," when the phone rang. Sighing, I figured it was one of my ex-clients calling to scold me or something.  
  
I was wrong.  
  
"Hello?" I said.  
  
"Kristy? It's Claud."  
  
I was surprised. "Umm, hi."  
  
"Well," she siad. "I should have called you earlier but I want you to know you're not alone."  
  
"Huh?" I said.  
  
"You're not the only BSC member who has done things she's not supposed to."  
  
I remembered how at the park, Greer had said that Claud was "great at hacky sack." I hadn't thought much about the comment at the time; but now I understood.  
  
I listened to what Claudia had to say with interest.  
  
****a/n: this is the end of this story. i am going to follow it up though; so stay tuned. or whatever.**** 


End file.
